MUMBAI — The Mumbai terror attacks may have left the world aghast but there are some, who though touched by the terror directly, wish to emerge stronger.
The grandparents of little baby Moshe, son of the Rabbi who perished in the attack on Nariman House or Chabad House, are in Mumbai to help rebuild it.
Baby Moshe’s Grandparents Dream he Imitates Father
MUMBAI — The Mumbai terror attacks may have left the world aghast but there are some, who though touched by the terror directly, wish to emerge stronger.
The grandparents of little baby Moshe, son of the Rabbi who perished in the attack on Nariman House or Chabad House, are in Mumbai to help rebuild it.
They say they hope the boy will return to Mumbai as a Rabbi someday.
On November 2008, Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg was killed along with his wife Rivka during the Nariman house siege. His child, an infant who could escape due to an alert and a courageous nanny, is in the care of his grandparents now.
But the slain Rabbi’s family has arrived in Mumbai to pick up the pieces and get over the tragedy.
Rabbi Gavriel Holtzberg , the 29 year old chief of the Chabad Lubavitch centre may be no more but his family is in Mumbai to carry forward efforts in rebuilding the damaged building of the Jewish centre.
Rabbi Nachman Holtzberg and his wife Frieda are hoping that their much-loved grandson, baby Moshe will take over as the chief Rabbi Chabad house here someday.
Rabbi Nachman Holtzberg, father Rabbi Gavriel
Said, “I believe in the end, baby Moshe will be the Rabbi. God willing nobody can take that from him.”
The couple who live in New York have been visiting Mumbai ever since the tragedy in an effort to gather funds to restore the Nariman house building as a memorial for their son and his wife. The Chabad Lubavitch movement is expected to cost over 2 million dollars. But despite the overwhelming number of emails and support for the family, pouring in from across the world, Rabbi Nachman feels India needs to play a more active role in helping them in their mission.
“We need help from India because my son stayed here and offered his services,” said the grieving father.
“I’m still waiting to hear something good. Physically nobody has come. India has sent message through the press but only talk isn’t enough.”
The local close-knit Jewish community considers stepping up security for the Chabad centres across the country; Rabbi Nachman feels that more can be done to uproot terror.
“People must feel secure. I live in America and after the 9/11 terror strikes, a lot of changes happened there,” he compares.
Gd help them
Is it me or perhaps is it way too much pressure to put on a child to “become the next Rabbi” and be “like his father”?How about just loving him and giving him security etc without the expectations for a future?Why not just let him be himself and live the normal life of a child-free to be who he is and Gd willing become a frum,pious,good person?We all love him-we all want the best for him. Has anyone even considered counseling for these hurt souls who must live with this burden of tragedy?They suffer so much. But lets not forget how children of Holocaust survivors had the burden of replacing lost family members.It is very difficult and psychologically very much a burden.We all love these families and esp baby Moishey.Gd help them.
Concerned too
I totally agree with you about the pressure that will be on little Moishele and the counseling comment. PTS (post trauma syndrome) can effect children and people years and years later after the incident, even with plently of love and support from family. I just hope that Moishele can live a normal life and that people will be sensitive to what he really needs and not what Lubavitch needs from him.
May he be re-united with his parents way before that, very soon with Moshiach Tzedkeinu!
chim
no offense but y are the holtzbergs going there every other day? When there son was alive did they go that often?? They barely even know there grandson. Y do people have to wait till someone dies??????
mt
to chim:
DO the holtzbergs go there every day?did you check out facts before you post? and ur sure they didnt go there every day when they were alive? when you found out the truth, tell me and ill understand your complaint
but i agree about the “Y do people have to wait till someone dies??????” i heard of the holtzbergs for the 1st time on 28 cheshvan. why not hear from them (any shluchim) when they are alive? must we wait ch’v for tragedy to fall ch’v?
A reader from Carroll Street
I’m hoping that as time goes down little Moshe Tzvi will be less in the news and he can have a somewhat normal life.
A friend of mine told me the best thing we can do for him is if we have time say his kapital every day. Moshe Tzvi ben Rivka. His birthday is Rosh Chodesh Kislev right so we know when to change the kapital. Daven he grows up to be a chossid, a yira shamayim and a lamdan; that he grows up well adjusted and healthy bruchnius oov’gashmius. I don’t get to say it every day but I try.
Ruth
Don’t wait until someone dies, G-d forbid!! Tell you family you love them NOW, go see them NOW.
Years ago, my mother got an invitation for the 80th birthday of her aunt. She said she would love to go but it was a long trip, plane fare was expensive, and so on and so on.
I asked her, “G-d forbid, if it was for her funeral, would you go?” She said, “Of course!” And I said, “Then what the heck are we discussing here? Let’s call the airline and book tickets NOW.” We went and had a fantastic time with the whole family.
care
Parents are blessings of God, but grandparents are the ‘grand blessings’ of God. Those who have these blessings are the lucky ones. According to my experience, grandparents are even more loving than your own parents.